"In most countries where the question was asked, roughly three-quarters or more Muslims reject suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians."

Another way of saying this is that a full one quarter of Muslims embrace suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians.

"In a majority of countries surveyed, at least half of Muslims say they are somewhat or very concerned about religious extremism."

Half? I think this sums it up. Is there any other religion in the world that is even close to that violent?

You can judge the tree by the fruit on it....

Response: These alleged polls or pew research is clearly not accurate. No one has ever interviewed every Muslim in the world, not can you determine whether the person interviewed is truthful or a practicing Muslim. So those who make judgments based off opinionated polls are clearly ignorant.

I don't like asserting that Islam is violent, or the the Muslim world is extremist. While it is true that, in terms of religious members, Islam has the highest percentage of extremists it is unfair to point at Islam as the reason. I would argue that you could look to economic or political issues, or the history of the region as a whole. I do not believe Muslim extremists are extreme simply because they are Muslim, and I do not believe that the Qur'an holds anything within it more violent than the Bible. Personally, I hold centuries of poverty, dictators, instability, and boarders made by European nations that didn't even really ask what those nations wanted. Islamic extremism just so happened to be the most readily available and viable option for a people who had (or felt they had) no other options.

"In most countries where the question was asked, roughly three-quarters or more Muslims reject suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians."

Another way of saying this is that a full one quarter of Muslims embrace suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians.

"In a majority of countries surveyed, at least half of Muslims say they are somewhat or very concerned about religious extremism."

Half? I think this sums it up. Is there any other religion in the world that is even close to that violent?

You can judge the tree by the fruit on it....

Response: These alleged polls or pew research is clearly not accurate. No one has ever interviewed every Muslim in the world, not can you determine whether the person interviewed is truthful or a practicing Muslim. So those who make judgments based off opinionated polls are clearly ignorant.

Properly conducted polls tend to be quite accurate. If you think a particlar poll is flawed, then you can point out its methodological flaws, such as poor sampling techniques or biased questions. But simply dismissing a poll because you do not like the results is intellectually lazy.

At 4/19/2016 6:05:16 AM, frootloopcoup wrote:I don't like asserting that Islam is violent, or the the Muslim world is extremist. While it is true that, in terms of religious members, Islam has the highest percentage of extremists it is unfair to point at Islam as the reason. I would argue that you could look to economic or political issues, or the history of the region as a whole. I do not believe Muslim extremists are extreme simply because they are Muslim, and I do not believe that the Qur'an holds anything within it more violent than the Bible. Personally, I hold centuries of poverty, dictators, instability, and boarders made by European nations that didn't even really ask what those nations wanted. Islamic extremism just so happened to be the most readily available and viable option for a people who had (or felt they had) no other options.

I am not saying all Muslims are extremist. I have had some Muslim friends that were very peaceful and kind people. With that said, there is no debate whether the Quran has verses that promote violence. The Bible also has verses that promote violence and it has led to a lot of death and suffering over the centuries. The difference is that Christianity is 500 years older and they figured out that violence and corruption is a detriment to society. Mainstream Christianity does not believe in authoritarian religious rule based on literal interpretations any more whereas Islam still does. An overwhelming majority of Muslims believe in Sharia law, which by developed countries standards is barbaric, intolerant and violent.

You cannot blame past war and poverty for the violence. Every country in Europe has been war torn at one time or another yet non-Islamic countries do not have the same problems. Democracy and prosperity will never come to countries that believe that someone that turns away from a religion should be killed.

"In most countries where the question was asked, roughly three-quarters or more Muslims reject suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians."

Another way of saying this is that a full one quarter of Muslims embrace suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians.

"In a majority of countries surveyed, at least half of Muslims say they are somewhat or very concerned about religious extremism."

Half? I think this sums it up. Is there any other religion in the world that is even close to that violent?

You can judge the tree by the fruit on it....

most westerns or americans support iraq war and let their sons to go for it, where it was a fake reason (S!) to invade another place, kill millions and steal their resources. they invade other places and dont have a probelm for that (generally). so most of them support killing ppl steal resources and never condemn their leaders but they have a problem with ppl who want reveage and try to bomb some place in europe as a reaction for their suffering.

You can judge the tree by the fruit on it....only hypocrites and murderes but they see themselves as heroes and freedom fighters and they r so stupid they always think they r right. nation of idiots.

At 4/19/2016 6:05:16 AM, frootloopcoup wrote:I don't like asserting that Islam is violent, or the the Muslim world is extremist. While it is true that, in terms of religious members, Islam has the highest percentage of extremists it is unfair to point at Islam as the reason. I would argue that you could look to economic or political issues, or the history of the region as a whole. I do not believe Muslim extremists are extreme simply because they are Muslim, and I do not believe that the Qur'an holds anything within it more violent than the Bible. Personally, I hold centuries of poverty, dictators, instability, and boarders made by European nations that didn't even really ask what those nations wanted. Islamic extremism just so happened to be the most readily available and viable option for a people who had (or felt they had) no other options.

I am not saying all Muslims are extremist. I have had some Muslim friends that were very peaceful and kind people. With that said, there is no debate whether the Quran has verses that promote violence. The Bible also has verses that promote violence and it has led to a lot of death and suffering over the centuries. The difference is that Christianity is 500 years older and they figured out that violence and corruption is a detriment to society. Mainstream Christianity does not believe in authoritarian religious rule based on literal interpretations any more whereas Islam still does. An overwhelming majority of Muslims believe in Sharia law, which by developed countries standards is barbaric, intolerant and violent.

You cannot blame past war and poverty for the violence. Every country in Europe has been war torn at one time or another yet non-Islamic countries do not have the same problems. Democracy and prosperity will never come to countries that believe that someone that turns away from a religion should be killed.

Do you think most terrorists are religious or secular?

First off, I apologize, as I didn't mean to imply that you or anyone else were asserting that all Muslims were terrorists. Secondly, Europe has had terrorism and violence in the past, but, due to a conscious effort on the part of leaders, technological advantages (those play a major role) and many cultural differences, have managed to overcome those problems. Now, it is extremely important to look at the culture of a region. The culture of the middle east is largely shaped and informed by Islam, however, Islam was also born out of that culture. The violent punishments and laws existed prior to the Qur'an, and were simply reasserted in the holy book. The cultural differences between the middle east and Europe make it so that comparing the two is a moot point, as they are different on far too many levels. I pointed to the history of the region as the root cause of the terrorism problem, and I reassert my stance. In any region with a history like that of the middle east, violence and revolution are quite frequently brewing. If the root cause of these issues was the Islamic religion itself, we would have seen this sort of terrorism for centuries, not decades. Only after the fall of the Ottomans, western interfering, economic struggle, and political discontent, did terrorism rise. Islamic Extremism is the result of the situation they are handed much more so than their religion. I will concede, however, that had those same circumstances been placed in an area such as South America (some many of them were), the people would likely have become criminals or freedom fighters or something like that, because the difference in culture. It's important to remember that strife breeds strife, and we as a world must be diligent against that strife.

"In most countries where the question was asked, roughly three-quarters or more Muslims reject suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians."

Another way of saying this is that a full one quarter of Muslims embrace suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians.

"In a majority of countries surveyed, at least half of Muslims say they are somewhat or very concerned about religious extremism."

Half? I think this sums it up. Is there any other religion in the world that is even close to that violent?

You can judge the tree by the fruit on it....

most westerns or americans support iraq war and let their sons to go for it, where it was a fake reason (S!) to invade another place, kill millions and steal their resources. they invade other places and dont have a probelm for that (generally). so most of them support killing ppl steal resources and never condemn their leaders but they have a problem with ppl who want reveage and try to bomb some place in europe as a reaction for their suffering.

You can judge the tree by the fruit on it....only hypocrites and murderes but they see themselves as heroes and freedom fighters and they r so stupid they always think they r right. nation of idiots.

At 4/19/2016 6:05:16 AM, frootloopcoup wrote:I don't like asserting that Islam is violent, or the the Muslim world is extremist. While it is true that, in terms of religious members, Islam has the highest percentage of extremists it is unfair to point at Islam as the reason. I would argue that you could look to economic or political issues, or the history of the region as a whole. I do not believe Muslim extremists are extreme simply because they are Muslim, and I do not believe that the Qur'an holds anything within it more violent than the Bible. Personally, I hold centuries of poverty, dictators, instability, and boarders made by European nations that didn't even really ask what those nations wanted. Islamic extremism just so happened to be the most readily available and viable option for a people who had (or felt they had) no other options.

I am not saying all Muslims are extremist. I have had some Muslim friends that were very peaceful and kind people. With that said, there is no debate whether the Quran has verses that promote violence. The Bible also has verses that promote violence and it has led to a lot of death and suffering over the centuries. The difference is that Christianity is 500 years older and they figured out that violence and corruption is a detriment to society. Mainstream Christianity does not believe in authoritarian religious rule based on literal interpretations any more whereas Islam still does. An overwhelming majority of Muslims believe in Sharia law, which by developed countries standards is barbaric, intolerant and violent.

You cannot blame past war and poverty for the violence. Every country in Europe has been war torn at one time or another yet non-Islamic countries do not have the same problems. Democracy and prosperity will never come to countries that believe that someone that turns away from a religion should be killed.

Do you think most terrorists are religious or secular?

First off, I apologize, as I didn't mean to imply that you or anyone else were asserting that all Muslims were terrorists. Secondly, Europe has had terrorism and violence in the past, but, due to a conscious effort on the part of leaders, technological advantages (those play a major role) and many cultural differences, have managed to overcome those problems. Now, it is extremely important to look at the culture of a region. The culture of the middle east is largely shaped and informed by Islam, however, Islam was also born out of that culture. The violent punishments and laws existed prior to the Qur'an, and were simply reasserted in the holy book. The cultural differences between the middle east and Europe make it so that comparing the two is a moot point, as they are different on far too many levels. I pointed to the history of the region as the root cause of the terrorism problem, and I reassert my stance. In any region with a history like that of the middle east, violence and revolution are quite frequently brewing. If the root cause of these issues was the Islamic religion itself, we would have seen this sort of terrorism for centuries, not decades. Only after the fall of the Ottomans, western interfering, economic struggle, and political discontent, did terrorism rise. Islamic Extremism is the result of the situation they are handed much more so than their religion. I will concede, however, that had those same circumstances been placed in an area such as South America (some many of them were), the people would likely have become criminals or freedom fighters or something like that, because the difference in culture. It's important to remember that strife breeds strife, and we as a world must be diligent against that strife.

I agree that violence has been a part of historic Muslim culture. The problem is that the Quran is not letting that culture evolve past that. If the words in the Quran that literalists use to justify their violence on innocent people could be removed, I would have zero problem with Islam. Unfortunately, that will never happen so we will continue to have a percentage of muslims commit violence on others.

If you doubt that the literal interpretation of the Quran doesn't contain verses that promote violence, I would be happy to provide you with some.

At 4/19/2016 6:05:16 AM, frootloopcoup wrote:I don't like asserting that Islam is violent, or the the Muslim world is extremist. While it is true that, in terms of religious members, Islam has the highest percentage of extremists it is unfair to point at Islam as the reason. I would argue that you could look to economic or political issues, or the history of the region as a whole. I do not believe Muslim extremists are extreme simply because they are Muslim, and I do not believe that the Qur'an holds anything within it more violent than the Bible. Personally, I hold centuries of poverty, dictators, instability, and boarders made by European nations that didn't even really ask what those nations wanted. Islamic extremism just so happened to be the most readily available and viable option for a people who had (or felt they had) no other options.

I am not saying all Muslims are extremist. I have had some Muslim friends that were very peaceful and kind people. With that said, there is no debate whether the Quran has verses that promote violence. The Bible also has verses that promote violence and it has led to a lot of death and suffering over the centuries. The difference is that Christianity is 500 years older and they figured out that violence and corruption is a detriment to society. Mainstream Christianity does not believe in authoritarian religious rule based on literal interpretations any more whereas Islam still does. An overwhelming majority of Muslims believe in Sharia law, which by developed countries standards is barbaric, intolerant and violent.

You cannot blame past war and poverty for the violence. Every country in Europe has been war torn at one time or another yet non-Islamic countries do not have the same problems. Democracy and prosperity will never come to countries that believe that someone that turns away from a religion should be killed.

Do you think most terrorists are religious or secular?

First off, I apologize, as I didn't mean to imply that you or anyone else were asserting that all Muslims were terrorists. Secondly, Europe has had terrorism and violence in the past, but, due to a conscious effort on the part of leaders, technological advantages (those play a major role) and many cultural differences, have managed to overcome those problems. Now, it is extremely important to look at the culture of a region. The culture of the middle east is largely shaped and informed by Islam, however, Islam was also born out of that culture. The violent punishments and laws existed prior to the Qur'an, and were simply reasserted in the holy book. The cultural differences between the middle east and Europe make it so that comparing the two is a moot point, as they are different on far too many levels. I pointed to the history of the region as the root cause of the terrorism problem, and I reassert my stance. In any region with a history like that of the middle east, violence and revolution are quite frequently brewing. If the root cause of these issues was the Islamic religion itself, we would have seen this sort of terrorism for centuries, not decades. Only after the fall of the Ottomans, western interfering, economic struggle, and political discontent, did terrorism rise. Islamic Extremism is the result of the situation they are handed much more so than their religion. I will concede, however, that had those same circumstances been placed in an area such as South America (some many of them were), the people would likely have become criminals or freedom fighters or something like that, because the difference in culture. It's important to remember that strife breeds strife, and we as a world must be diligent against that strife.

I agree that violence has been a part of historic Muslim culture. The problem is that the Quran is not letting that culture evolve past that. If the words in the Quran that literalists use to justify their violence on innocent people could be removed, I would have zero problem with Islam. Unfortunately, that will never happen so we will continue to have a percentage of muslims commit violence on others.

If you doubt that the literal interpretation of the Quran doesn't contain verses that promote violence, I would be happy to provide you with some.

If violent words remain in the Quran, violent ways will remain also.

I'm not saying that the Qur'an isn't violent. What I'm saying is that Islam isn't the problem, and we need to stop acting like it is. The bible is full of violence and murder, just as much so as the Qur'an, but I don't see many people suicide bombing on behalf of God. If the religion were the cause, then almost every religion aside from Buddhists would be killing people in the name of their god(s).

Islam is no more violent than any other bronze age religion. It's the location of Islam that is the problem.